The Spirit is conveyed as relating to believers as the “paraclete,” which means the “helper” or “advocate.”  The Spirit is understood as one who is “called alongside to help the believer,” and thus our preaching, teaching, and worshiping of God should be understood in light of the Spirit’s aid.

The role of preaching and the Holy Spirit  have as a foremost truth that the one who preaches, i.e., proclaiming the gospel, is one who should have as their central theme the glory of God.  I mentioned the concept of the Spirit being a helper for the believer; and, if this is true (John 14:16), preaching that is aided by the Spirit should model the intent of the Spirit, and that intent is to glorify Christ (John 16:14).  The Messiah himself, Jesus, was dependent on the “Spirit of Power” for the message he proclaimed (Luke 4:14; 18); thus, how much more should human preachers be dependent on the Spirit to enable spiritual preaching?  Paul conveys just this idea (Romans 5:19), as seen in his statement to the Corinthians: “…my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4).  Thus, the task of proclaiming the gospel, from its milk to meat (which is evangelism in its purest form), is a task that should be soaked in prayer and dependency on the Spirit.  Further, it should necessarily result in the manifestation of the glory of God, and not seven steps to feel better about yourself masqueraded as gospel.

Secondly, teaching is tied very closely to preaching.  In fact, it is hard to make a distinction between the two, other than to say that preaching usually at some points seeks to answer the question of application, while teaching is portrayed a little more academically and doesn’t necessarily ask that question (although it could).  Teaching is spoken of as a gift in Ephesians 4:11, and like preaching or the other gifts, it is needed for bringing the church to maturity.  Further, John seems to shed a different light on the need of teachers (1 John 2:27) when saying that believers have no need of anyone to teach them because they have the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  However, the concept is not to reject teachers, but that the Spirit aids the believer in discerning true gospel from that which is false; moreover, the Spirit illumines the mind so that we may truly apprehend what is being taught.

Worship is one of the more elusive areas of theology to put into writing.  Yet, all have experienced it in one way or another.  At the heart, it has to do with connecting to something greater than oneself; it is the ascribing of worth to God.  Worship is even seen at rock concerts when fans hold cigarette lighters in the air signifying that something transcending their own sense of reality is being experienced.  In whatever fashion you may deem it, they worship what the music creates.  Believers, however, in a much greater way, connect to the eternal and infinite God. Yet, the manner of doing so, as John writes, is in Spirit and truth.  Thus, emotion and truth together constitute worship.  When one “worships” God without doctrinal substantiation, it lacks the heart and foundation of what the act stands for.  Further, when the mind is only full of knowledge, and no outpouring of the Spirit, it lacks its breath and life.

Will Uminn , Dana Arledge, Phil Meade, Kevin Farmer

When the authors of the various books of the Bible began their treatises, did they sit down, take pen in hand and say, “now what should I write?” Were the ideas, words, and concepts of their own making, or did God tell them what to write?  The answer is “yes” to both. Sometimes God did tell the authors to write specific information, but more often the authors wrote what they thought were their own words unknowingly being given to them by God’s Spirit. As 2 Peter 1:20-21 reminds us, “above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit played a major role in the writing of the Bible. He worked with the human authors so that what they wrote was actually the words of God, and not men.  For example, in the Old Testament the Bible says that the Holy Spirit came on various prophets so they would know what to say or write. Ezekiel 11:5 says, “then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says…” Zechariah 7:12 tells us, “They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.” Sometimes God even spoke to pagan prophets as Numbers 24:2 says, “when Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him.”

Consider the book of Acts. Luke, the human author, researched the events immediately following the ascension of Jesus Christ and wrote them down on paper. As we read the book, we find that it follows a logical sequence, but the book also presents God as its central figure. Throughout history the church has recognized the fingerprints of the Holy Spirit throughout the events and the words which went into what Luke wrote. As such, conservative believers have said that the book of Acts was breathed into existence by God’s Spirit through the penmanship of the human author, Luke. Such a realization gives us encouragement that what we read in the Bible really is the Word of God.

Dana Arledge, Will Uminn, Phil Meade, Kevin Farmer

The concept of prayer is a mystery that the finite minds of man have, at least in my opinion, difficultly grasping.  Prayer is seen throughout the entirety of the Bible, and thus there are many avenues in which prayer could be understood.  Within this article the role of the Holy Spirit in the prayers of believers will be briefly examined.

Within the New Testament prayer and the Holy Spirit are connected in two aspects.  One is that we are commanded to pray in the Spirit, and secondly, we are told that the Spirit of God that is within us prays for us.  The former teaching leaves one asking the question: how do I pray in the Holy Spirit, or is it possible to pray to God yet not in the Holy Spirit?  The latter teaching on prayer leaves one pondering at the mystery that the Spirit within us, knowing what’s really important (no, we don’t always know), prays for us with “groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

In Ephesians 6:18 Paul commands believers to “pray at all times in the Spirit.”  Ok, pray at all times.  Now that I know that, problem solved, right?  No!  Seemingly, it is not enough just to lift our voice to God and say _______.  We must do it in a certain way, and the way prescribed is in the Spirit.  Does this mean we need to go into some delusional trance or speak in tongues in order to pray?  Moreover, note the quantity of prayer that should be “in the Spirit.”  Paul says pray at “all times” this way, which would leave one properly to conclude that Paul does not envision any form of true prayer that could be not in the Spirit.  It is not pray some times in the Spirit and other times just normally, it is pray “all times” this way (which would quickly dismiss the idea of tongues in this passage).

Putting theology in a “how to” form is highly inadequate, because there is so much at work apart from what we do.  Yet, in summary, we are two pray in two ways: we are to pray that the Spirit is the power of our prayer; and secondly, that the Spirit is the One who guides our prayer.  But again, that only presses the question because both of those elements are works of the Spirit!  How do we work the works of the Spirit?  Romans 8:26 sheds some light.  The Spirit is said to help us in our weaknesses, praying for us.  Prayer must be understood as an act of faith relying on the Spirit to empower us to pray as we should (see Philippians 3:3, where worshiping in the Spirit is contrasted with trusting in the flesh).  Secondly, how does the Spirit guide our prayers?  Our prayers are guided by the Spirit when we pray, essentially, what the Spirit would pray; and what the Spirit would pray is revealed in the God breathed Word.  We are to be so engulfed, saturated, and overflowing with the word of God that our prayers are naturally biblical Spirit prayers.

The concept of the Spirit praying for us is intriguing (Romans 8:26).  We, being finite and weak, do not always know how to pray (i.e., to God’s glory), and thus the Spirit prays on our behalf knowing the perfect will of God.  Yet, how do we know if our own prayers are in the Spirit?  To answer, one must consider what the role of the Spirit is.  John tells us that the Spirit will glorify Christ (16:14).  Thus, when one considers the content of their prayers, the extent to which they concern the glory of Christ and Him being magnified is the measure, I would say, of those prayers being empowered and guided by the Spirit, thus in the Spirit.  Trust the Spirit to empower and be filled with the Word to be guided.

Will Uminn, Kevin Farmer, Phil Meade, Dana Arledge

Mention the Holy Spirit among modern day Christians, and the subject of spiritual gifts will not be far away.  Three passages of Scripture (Romans 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12) list a variety of gifts which are present in the church. 1 Corinthians 12:7 tells us that “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good”, meaning that the Spirit of God is present in each of the gifts.

Each of the gifts are given for a specific purpose “the common good” and are not for the private benefit of any individual but for the glory of God through the maturation of the church. In addition, there have been volumes written on the need for believers to find their spiritual gifts, whereas the New Testament does not encourage any such search. Admittedly, one verse (1 Corinthians 12:31) has been construed to encourage believers to seek the “higher gifts”, however the words “earnestly desire” in the original language can be understood either in the present tense or as a command.  If Paul was speaking in a command form then we should indeed seek our particular gifts; but if he used the present tense (as is suggested by the context) then he was most likely rebuking them for seeking the greater gifts – and that would be why the chapter on love would need to be written.

The Holy Spirit gifts or enables people for service, and as such those gifts become known by the believers and the church, as we walk in the Spirit. For example, a person who has been gifted with the gifts of helps need not take a spiritual gift inventory to determine whether or not they have the gift of helps.  All they need to do is walk with the Lord and “helps” will ooze out of them in all sorts of ways. Those with the gift of wisdom, knowledge, or healing do not need to “find” their gift before they can use it. They simply need to be filled with the Spirit, and he will manifest that gift in his own way.  This does not mean an individual would not benefit from being trained in their area of giftedness.  Those who are gifted administrators can learn how to be better administrators, but the key point to understand is that spiritual gifts are gifts. They’re already present, not earned or determined. They are given by the Holy Spirit in the process of redemption, and are useful only when empowered by that same Spirit.

Dana Arledge, Phil Meade, Will Uminn, Kevin Farmer

A plaque hanging on the wall at the YMCA uses the words “that they all may be one” (John 17:21) to speak of the unity that exists between all races and religions through the teachings of Jesus. Such a pluralistic statement clearly reveals that the plaque’s creators do not get it.  1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

One of the Holy Spirit’s tasks is to “illuminate” or open the understanding of believers so they might comprehend and do God’s will. Two basic scriptures emphasizing this truth are John 14:26, which says, “but the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” and John 16:13 which tells us, “but when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

When it seems as if everyone, including God, hates you, that you are less than worthless as a human being, and you have not a clue as to what to believe or do, the Holy Spirit opens the believer’s mind so you may understand how God sees you as opposed to how you feel. He then gives you the next step to know how to respond by faith without necessarily taking away the confusion.  Because the Holy Spirit is God, and also lives within us, he intimately knows everything God desires as well as everything we face.  He is our eternal instructor and encourager.

Sometimes he tells us to do things that simply do not make sense, like “forgive one another.” Unbelievers scoff at such a notion; whereas those who follow the Holy Spirit’s leading find that when they forgive others, they really are gaining forgiveness, healing, and peace for themselves. Similarly, the non-Christian can understand that Christians believe that Jesus’ death can take away their sins, but it makes no sense and therefore they reject that truth. However, in the cross of Christ the Christian finds more than he or she could ever fathom because the Holy Spirit is making it known to them.

Dana Arledge, Kevin Farmer, Will Uminn, Phil Meade

In the Baptist circles that we travel in, it could be said that there are some words associated with the Holy Spirit that make us slightly uncomfortable. Ok, let’s be honest, due to the rise of Pentecostal theology, they make us very uncomfortable. Indwelling is a word we seem comfortable with but as we move towards words like filling and baptism our theological ground begins to shake. Often we simply say something like, “they all mean the same thing and praise God for that. Now let’s all take our dish to pass and go eat.” These words do not need to strike us with fear but with joy…a joy unspeakable. For the work of the Holy Spirit is for the glory of God and our enjoyment of Him.

First, let us look at the one with which we are most comfortable. Romans 8:9 speaks of the indwelling of the Spirit, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” This indwelling is a seal that occurs at the time of conversion. It is related to regeneration and provides for our sanctification. It is a permanent arrangement as I Corinthians 3:16 points out that we are the temple of God in which the Spirit abides. These truths are bringing us comfort as we face the world.

The other words associated with the Spirit can also bring us both comfort as well as joy. Both words are used often in the scriptures. The concept of baptism of the Holy Spirit is used in all four Gospels and by both Paul and Luke, but not always in the same vain. For Paul, baptism of the Spirit is connected with regeneration. In I Corinthinas 12:12 and 13 Paul speaks of being baptized into the body of Christ, which is a clear reference to regeneration. Paul would see this as a one-time event that occurs at the point of salvation. But Luke uses the phrase differently. It is related to the experience of Pentecost and is more related to filling of the spirit. In Acts 11 Luke talks about gentiles having had the Spirit move upon them, being baptized by the Holy Spirit, were like the believers at Pentecost. And in his description of that experience in the upper room in Acts 2 he uses the word “filling”.

Filling of the Holy Spirit is an ongoing and repeated experience. It is used in scripture many times and is often followed by an act of power. Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones discussed this topic in his book Joy Unspeakable. For him, filling of the Spirit could be described as situations where the Spirit comes upon people and enables them to act. The words they use, the actions they take are beyond what they normally would experience. It is a ministry of the Spirit in both the lives of the listener and the speaker. Dr. Jones says that the filling of the spirit is “to enable God’s people to witness in such a manner that it becomes a phenomenon and people are arrested and are attracted.” (Joy Unspeakable, p. 84) This experience brings us joy in seeing the Glory of God worked out in a transforming way. The joy is not because of our efforts but because it is obviously of God and for His glory.

Kevin Farmer, Will Uminn, Phil Meade, Dana Arledge

The work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament is by a wide margin more connected to life after conversion than before.  There is, however, a work that he has prior to conversion.  He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8).  And even though there is scant teaching on it, it is essential; the larger work for believers would never occur if there were no activity to make such believers in the first place.

How one understands the extent and nature of that work depends at least partly on how much of a Calvinist one is or isn’t.  The stronger one’s theology of sin, the more essential and extensive the work of the Spirit is understood to be.  Verses like John 1:12 and 6:44 and the work of the Spirit throughout the Acts narratives make clear that at least some supernatural work is involved in coming to Christ.

The more intriguing question in this activity is how the Spirit works.  How does he engender conviction in a sinner?  There is very little in the New Testament to suggest that he works apart from some human action.  In Acts 13 the Spirit sets apart missionaries and works through them to bring people to faith.  The focus is usually on the proclamation of the gospel.  Following such usage, the Reformation insisted that there is an intrinsic connection between the Spirit and the Word.  Its doctrine was developed in distinction to both Roman Catholic rationalism and the more fanatical subjective elements that developed in the wake of Luther’s break with Rome (known collectively sometimes as enthusiasts).

In the modern church the Reformation view has sometimes been taken in an almost magical sense, as if there is some inherent power in the text of the Bible that the Spirit puts to use with sinners.  Thus, all one has to do is quote the Bible to sinners and let the Spirit work.  Conversion is certain to result.  But perhaps it isn’t out of line to point out that the Bible is not magical.  The New Testament was not written in a special Holy Ghost Greek, as was once thought, but in the language of the marketplace.  What the Spirit uses in his work is truth, whether expressed in biblical language or not.  Paul did not quote the Old Testament when evangelizing people who did not know it or accept its authority, though he did present Old Testament concepts (see Acts 17).  The Bible gives us truth that we could not otherwise know and truth that is more important than any other we might know.  The job of the evangelist is to present that truth in language and a conceptual framework that the sinner can grasp.  The Holy Spirit uses that to bring conviction.

It is important to note that bringing about conviction is finally the Spirit’s work, not the evangelist’s.  Evangelists are witnesses, but bear no guilt in relation to those who do not respond.  On the other hand, there can be a firm confidence that the Spirit is at work when biblical truth is presented.  We do not speak in vain.

Phil Meade, Will Uminn, Dana Arledge, Kevin Farmer

Attempting to understand the oneness of God, the Trinitarian Father, Son, and Spirit, is a daunting task in itself; moreover, trying to understand how the Spirit relates individually to the Christ while He was on earth seems to press the issue even further.  Within this article the concept of the mono-God will be examined in light of the individual relations between the Spirit and Christ, who are both the “one” God.  How can it be that the Spirit is said to come upon Christ (who is God), when the Spirit, in the Trinitarian sense, is already God Himself?

The idea of the Spirit’s relation to Christ is introduced specifically in the prophetical writings of Isaiah, where it is written that the Spirit would rest upon the Messiah.  The result of this Spirit resting is that the Messiah would receive wisdom, strength, and knowledge for the ministry in which He would partake on earth (Isaiah 42:1-3).  In light of this, the most obvious place to start in understanding the relation of the Spirit to Christ is to first note that it is the Spirit that generated Christ in the incarnation.  Matthew tells us that the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary causing her to be with child (Matthew 1:20).  This act of the Spirit initiated the physical life of Christ and also secured the sinless human nature that the Son would receive.

The next major act of the Spirit resting on Christ is the anointing that Jesus received at His baptism (Luke 4:18).  The Spirit coming upon Jesus, as portrayed as a dove, was the fulfilling of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 61:1.  The concept of anointing relates historically in the Old Testament to an act performed upon Kings and Priests (both of which Christ was) to initiate and grant right to their duties; and thus, it is in this act that the Spirit conferred upon Christ power for the ministry.  This act of anointing by the Spirit was meant to signify that the Messiah had come (John 1:31).

Thirdly, the idea of the Spirit filling Christ is taught in Luke 4:1.  This     passage says that Jesus was “…full of the Holy Spirit…[and]…was led about by the Spirit.”  The idea of the verb “led” is that of continuous action.  It was not that Jesus was led once in one act, but that continually throughout His ministry He was guided by the Spirit.

From the birth, anointing, and the continuous filling of the Spirit, Christ met the climax of His earthly role in His death.  Yet this act was not His alone, but as  Hebrews 9:14 tells us, Christ “through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God.”  The Spirit that comes upon the Servant in Isaiah 42:1 is the same Spirit who leads the Servant to bear the sins of many in Isaiah 53:1-12.  Furthermore, the death of Christ is not the end of the ministry of the Spirit to Christ.  There are several passages that teach that Christ not only offered Himself through the Spirit but was also raised from the dead “…according to the Spirit of holiness” (Romans 1:4; c.f. 8:11).

Despite the fact that this article did not take into account the role of the    Father, it may be inferred that there is not “any great work of God revealed in the Word of God in which all of the members of the Godhead do not work together to accomplish God’s purpose” (Pentecost, Divine Comforter).

Will Uminn, Phil Meade, Kevin Farmer Dana Arledge

In the New Testament we read about believers being baptized, filled, and gifted by the Holy Spirit, but what was his role in the Old Testament?  What did the Holy Spirit do in the Old Testament? Perhaps a better question would be “what didn’t he do?”

In Deuteronomy 34:9 we read that Joshua was filled with the Holy Spirit to lead Israel into the Promised Land and to deliver her from her enemies. Judges 3:10 reveals how the Holy Spirit came upon Othniel, Caleb’s nephew to deliver Israel from an oppressor, as 1 Samuel 11:6 shows he also did through Saul. The Holy Spirit was Israel’s protector (Isaiah 63:11-12), and through him prophets spoke (Daniel 4:8-9).  The Spirit was equally present in the movement of the wheels of Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 1:12, 20).  The Old Testament also predicts the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the coming Messiah (Isaiah 42:1-2).

Jesus once said in John 7:39, “…Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified;” and speaking further of the H.S. Jesus says in John 14:17 “…but you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”  But how could the Holy Spirit not be given if he had been so busy in the Old Testament, and how could they already know him?  The answer is most probably one of “degrees.”

The Holy Spirit was present in the Old Testament for specific purposes and events. He empowered people, and performed God’s will, but was never as close as promised in the New Testament. In the Old Testament the Spirit came and went according to his sovereign will, whereas in the New Testament he is the final and permanent manifestation of the Trinity throughout the world. Grudem states, “The Holy Spirit had not come within them in the way in which God had promised to put the Holy Spirit within his people when the new covenant would come, nor had the Holy Spirit been poured out in the great abundance and fullness that would characterize the new covenant age (Joel 2:28-29).” Therefore, as important as the Holy Spirit’s presence was in the Old Testament, his presence today only enhances the presence of God among us.

Dana Arledge, Will Uminn, Phil Meade, Kevin Farmer

Genesis 1:2 says, “…and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”  Have you ever wondered what each member of the trinity did when the world was created?  Genesis 1 says God is the one who spoke creation into existence, Colossians 1:16 says that by the Son “all things were created”, but what of the Spirit?

B.B. Warfield wrote that the Holy Spirit is “the source of all order, life and light in the universe.  He is the divine principle of all movement, of all life and of all thought in the world.” If we could travel back into the void which existed just prior to God saying, “let there be light”, we would find the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters.  His presence guaranteed that when God spoke obedience occurred.  Warfield states, “as God said, Let there be light; Let there be a firmament; Let the waters be gathered together; Let the waters and the earth bring forth – depended upon the fact that the Spirit of God was already brooding upon the formless void. To the voice of God in heaven saying, Let there be light! The energy of the Spirit of God brooding upon the face of the waters responded, and lo! There was light.”  In short, the Holy Spirit was what empowered creation to happen.

In the KJV, Job 26:13 says, “By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens…” Warfield states, “The Spirit of God thus appears from the outset of the Old Testament as the principle of the very existence and persistence of all things, and as the source and originating cause of all movement and order and life.”  In the Spirit’s presence in creation he demonstrates his closeness to everything that was created. Normally we think of God’s transcendence, or his majesty when we think of his role in creation. But the Holy Spirit was present with creation.  For while God the Father was over creation speaking it into existence, and God the Son was the one who was actually performing the task of creating, God the Holy Spirit was present before creation began, and empowered every molecule which was coming into existence to exist according to the command of God.

Dana Arledge, Will Uminn, Kevin Farmer, Phil Meade

In many ways the question of the Holy Spirit is parallel to the issues we have already looked at with regard to the person of Christ.  Like Christ, in the ancient church the Spirit was often held to be subordinate to the Father.  In marked contrast to the pagan world, Judaism, and Christianity following it, held firmly to monotheism.  To safeguard the monarchy, both Christ and the Spirit were thought of as lesser than God (the Father) in some way.  Otherwise how could one avoid polytheism?  In the fourth century the problem of a plurality in God issued in a full Trinitarianism, with the person of Christ as the focal point of a long and bitter controversy.  Once theology figured out the necessity of Christ’s full deity and worked out an explanation for how God could be dual, the biblical triadic pattern of Father, Son, and Spirit naturally carried the Spirit’s deity almost as a matter of course.

There was a small group, the Macedonians, that argued against the deity of the Spirit just prior to 381, but as heresies go, it was rather insignificant and generated nowhere near the controversy that Arianism had over Christ.  A full Trinitarianism was incorporated into the creed issuing from the second ecumenical council at Constantinople in 381.  As Christ was held to be begotten of the Father, begottenness defining his personal distinction within the one God, so the Spirit was said to proceed from the Father (Jn 15:26), procession being his personal distinction.

Unlike Christ, the Spirit has had a rather more controversial history in theology regarding his personality.  He has often been thought of as a force or an influence, not as a person.  That may be due at least in part to the fact that both the Hebrew and Greek words for “spirit” also mean “breath” or “wind,” both of which are impersonal.  The Greek word is also grammatically neuter in gender, so the pronoun would be “it,” not “he.”  The difficulties of translating Ezekiel’s passage on the valley of dry bones are legendary because the word “ruach” carries all three meanings there.  How does one decide exactly when “breath” is meant and when “spirit”?  One could also think of the parallelism between “wind” and “spirit” in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in Jn. 3.

But there are many places in Scripture where the Holy Spirit acts or is acted upon in ways that show him to be personal.  For example, he can be grieved (Eph 4:30), but obviously that is not true of the wind or breath.  The decision of the Jerusalem council in Ac 15:28 is said to seem good to the Holy Spirit, implying that he makes intellectual or moral judgments as do persons, but not influences.

We may be exceedingly glad that the Spirit is both fully God and personal.  His ministry to us- as comforter (Ac 9:31) and intercessor (Rom 8:26), for example-would be fatally compromised if both were not true.

Phil Meade, Kevin Farmer, Will Uminn, Dana Arledge

And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”                                                                  John 20:22

The Holy Spirit is often the least studied and thus the least understood member of the Trinity. A. W. Pink in his book entitled The Holy Spirit says this concerning our study of the matter,
“The great importance of a reverent and prayerful study of this subject should be apparent to every real child of God. The repeated references made to the Spirit by Christ in His final discourse (John 14 to16) at once intimates this. The particular work which has been committed to Him furnishes clear proof of it. There is no spiritual good communicated to anyone but by the Spirit; whatever God in His grace works in us, it is by the Spirit. The only sin for which there is no forgiveness is one committed against the Spirit. How necessary is it then that we should be well instructed in the Scripture doctrine concerning Him! The great abuse there has been in all ages under the pretense of His holy name, should prompt us to diligent study. Finally, the awful ignorance which now so widely prevails upon the Spirit’s office and operations, urges us to put forth our best efforts.”

Why do we shy away from this subject? After all, the Great Commission tells us to baptize in the name of the Holy Spirit. Christ promises a Counselor who will live in us and teach us. Yet we as Baptists shy away from the subject. Perhaps it is a fearful reaction to the charismatic view of Spirit. A view, which like Simon the Magician, has a misunderstanding concerning the power and role of the Spirit. As with everything we as man touch, the focus of our theology often is turned inward. We look to answer the questions, “what do I get out of this?” or “what power do I gain through this?”

As we look at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit through the next section of articles we should consider carefully this Third Person of the Trinity.  What things are we lacking in our understanding of God because of our poor understanding of the role of the Spirit? What beauty of glory do we miss because of our fear of how the world views Him? In what ways are we not properly giving glory to God because of our lack of knowledge in this area? As C. H. Spurgeon said, “There never yet was a heavenly thought, a hallowed deed, or a consecrated act, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, which was not worked in us by the Holy Spirit.”

Kevin Farmer, Dana Arledge, Phil Meade, Will Uminn